Skip the Breading

After the Huey Lewis concert 4-23-10

I did not plan on having a cheat day yesterday, and I really didn't.  (My next one is scheduled for Mother's Day). Last night was more of a "relax the rules meal," but since it didn't even include any SUPER bad stuff, it didn't seem fair that I even indulged...(after I tell you what it did to my blood sugar. LOL)  Let me explain. I was perfect with my diet plan for the entire day.  Mike and I had plans to go out to eat before the Huey Lewis concert, which I was fully aware of, but we were going to the buffet at the casino and I knew there would be plenty of low carb stuff for me to eat there.

Before we left, I was really starving (bad sign). I checked my blood sugar (because I am a freak like that) and it was 73. I was actually on the borderline of feeling sort of shaky and weak. That's not how you want to feel when you're headed out to a pig trough buffet...LOL

We got there, and I started with a salad. Fully low carb... eggs, cheese, vegetables and cold shrimp.  I followed that up with a piece of salisbury steak and some broiled shrimp with some sort of crab stuffing on top.

I would've been fine had I stopped there!  But nooo...my husband had to corrupt me. Mike came back from his third trip to the buffet to rave about all the wonderful things I was missing, and the new delicious shrimp selections they had brought out to the buffet. I went back to the shrimp section and saw some new delicious items that hadn't been there before.  I relented and filled my plate with coconut shrimp, battered shrimp and one large stuffed shrimp...oh yeah and some scallops in some sort of cream sauce.

Yep, not the most low carb choices, considering all that breading, but I had deluded myself into thinking it was "not that bad" because I wasn't having bread, potatoes or dessert.  Mike, meanwhile, had his usual 4 plates of food with no concern for starch or carbs, AND a large piece of peach pie with whipped cream.  This will become important later.

So I finished off the shrimp and we headed over to the convention area for the concert about 7:15.  About a half hour later, I realized how full I really was. UGH.  Yuck.  Indigestion and heart burn!

The show was great though, and I was happy that after the first half we all charged the stage and went up to the front. I was jumping up and down a lot which helped my overly full stomach somewhat.

We got home around 10:00, and I couldn't WAIT to check my blood sugar. Of course, it has been nearly 3 hours since we had eaten, so it wasn't going to accurately reflect how high it HAD been, say an hour after eating, but at least I could get an idea.

I was appalled at my reading...146!!! And that was 3 HOURS after eating! Now, remember what Mike ate??? His blood sugar was 102! NO FAIR!  I guess he has a much more efficient pancreas than mine.

What does this little lesson teach me?  I am very sensitive to carbs, and when I eat them, my blood sugar will stay elevated for a long time. Elevated insulin = weight gain. Of course, 146 isn't "outrageous," but it's higher than I want it to be. (and who knows what it had been right after eating?!?!!? I shudder to think...)My goal is to keep it within 70-120 at all times.

This morning it was back to 71...but I still had the barfy, food hangover feeling!  I was glad I had to run a loooong run...plenty of carb stores to use up! 

I had a great 10 mile run and probably burned 1,000 calories, so no harm done... but next time I go to a buffet I am going to skip the breading!